Comic book stores, the good the bad and the ugly.

WoD · 03 January, 2003, 05:54:57 PM

Does anyone have their own favourite or mosted hated comic book stores?

My own personal favourite was Gosh in London (top store circa 1992 (don't know what it's like now though) closely follwed by Terry's shop in the Indoor Market in Newport South Wales (Negative Zone I think it's called). Most hated is Forbidden Planet in Cardiff (terrible display system can't find anything and they are always out of stock of the good stuff), and the most dissapointing was Jonathon Ross and Paul Gambochine's shop (ignore spelling please).

God I must be bored to be thinking about this lot.

M.

W. R. Logan · 03 January, 2003, 06:10:42 PM

ACE Comics in Colchester is one of the best I've ever been in and their service has always been faultless.

Regarding Cardiff FP, they took 20 issues of '79 off me at Comics '99 on a sale or return basis, never got any money and they never returned the copies, so they wouldn't be at the top of my list.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Link: http://www.acecomics.net" target="_blank">ACE Comics

DavidXBrunt · 03 January, 2003, 06:26:18 PM

Millenium Comics which has a store in Northwich and a Market stall in Warrington. Good selection of comics - mainstream and indie - lot's of merchandise and graphic novels. Best of all they're run by a pair of enthusisatic, knowledgable cits - Mike and Danny - who go out of their way to provide extra service.

For instance because I shop there so regularly they gave me free copies of the missing issues of 'Cursed Earth' when I bought the collection.

They also have a basement stuffed full of literally thousands of back issues of 2k, Best of, the Meg and so on.

Hmmm. This will be embarassing if they see this...

IndigoPrime · 03 January, 2003, 09:35:47 PM

Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...

Art · 03 January, 2003, 09:37:53 PM

I always thoughtthe staff in Forbidden Plant were rude and obnoxious over here, but then I tried visiting an FP in New York... Jesus Christ. I walk into the shop and start to browse the tiny, disorganised comics section and this guy comes running after me, utterly pissed off that I hadn't left the tiny, less that A5 plastic bag I was carrying at the counter. I do so, already setting m mind against buying anything in the store, and go back to look at comics. The guy watches me like a hawk the whole time I'm in the shop, as if I'm going to start stuffing buffy figurenes into my pocket the moment he takes his eyes off me, and then when I recover my bag he says something sarcastic and rude because I didn't buy anything.

I tell you, I'd dump a 747 on that fucking store.

Art · 03 January, 2003, 09:38:44 PM

Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...

Hey, thats the store I go to.

Matt Timson · 03 January, 2003, 10:05:32 PM

"Mega City Comics in London are pretty good...

Hey, thats the store I go to."

I used to go there all the time when I was living in Hendon (90 or 91 I think). I remember buying a complete run of Animal Man from there and was well chuffed with myself.

My girlfriend gets really pissed off whenever we make the trek from sunny Leicester to London as I still insist on a detour to Camdem to check out Mega City...

JimBob · 03 January, 2003, 10:39:08 PM

Forbidden Planet Southampton. I don't know if theres a Piss off customers policy in place there but the staffs conversations are ALWAYS more important than actually serving you, and when they do pay you attention it's with vast suspicion "What are you doing in our den?" Hateful place.

Quirkafleeg · 03 January, 2003, 10:44:34 PM

I think that's most Forbidden Planets...

The one in Notts can never seemed to be arsed to open until up to half an hour after it is supposed to. And it's 3/4 gonks.

Plus points is that they do play good music and (unlike Page'We are reordering' 45) they keep their stock levels up.

And the last time I went in, the bloke in Page 45 completely blanked me when I tried to have a conversation with him... What is it about about comic shops that half the staff have no customer skills at all...

JimBob · 03 January, 2003, 11:16:01 PM

There are exceptions to the rule but in general you have to wonder if there's some government scheme for those people sacked from all other retail jobs to be placed in comic shops. The Simpsons character is if anything too fond an image, whne I was about 12 I remember being intimidated out of FP Glasgow just by the sheer rudeness of the no mark on the counter when I naively asked about Batman, treating me as if I was an idiot for not knowing about DC continuity, when I dared to ask where to start as I'ld only read some UK reprints. It was a good four years before I went back to a comic shop. And people wonder why its a niche industry.

Quirkafleeg · 03 January, 2003, 11:40:50 PM

Oh the comic shop near Murder 1 in London (on the road with all the bookshops on it which I've just forgotten the name of) is very good. I popped in there during Dreddcon weekend and the bloke I chatted to was very helpful and freindly... if only other comic shops could be the same. The guys who run sf book shops all seem to be helpfull to potential customers why cannot comic shops be the same... as the man says no wonder it's a niche market.

And I'm totally sick to death of the 'of course we've not got it, you should order absolutly everything you may be the slightest bit interested in' attitude.

Leigh S · 03 January, 2003, 11:46:38 PM

Readers World isnt a comic shop as such - moe a second hand books shop, with loads of mags and comics, but recommended all the same.

I think all new York shop staff are trained to act like that Arthur. When I went to Greenwich village on the hunt for rare singles, I had an almost exact same experience. After making a sarcastic joke about the (Richie Havens) single I was after and chuckling with his mate, he said all yes, he had some of his stuff, but all the singles were down in the basement. After asking whether he could get them, he huffed and puffed as if it would involve some extensive search of his stockroom. What it actually involved was pressing an intercom button and asking the guy in the stockroom to bring them up. Happily I too purchased nothing - Look at it this way, I would have left the store disappointed otherwise - This way, I left with a flourish and a F*** you. nice.

Quirkafleeg · 04 January, 2003, 12:01:32 AM

Oh god, record shops...

Many years ago, in the days of vinyl, I wanted to buy this 12 inch from a second hand record shop in Birmingham. Now this place sold mainly metal but while rooting around I discovered an interesting looking Ska remix. I then asked the yeti behind the counter if I could possibly listen too it before I bought it. He took one look at it and snorted "I'm not playing that shit"
There was the brief silence when I, stunned and well frankly enraged, refused to back down until the shop owner came over and said he's put it on... The Yeti stomped off into the back room, muttering to himself.

I know it's not a great job, I've been behind the counter myself, but even so...

Leigh S · 04 January, 2003, 12:08:17 AM

Reddingtons perchance, Gary?

If so I'm not surprised - Terrible, shop, terrible prices. Swordfish is a great record shop in Brum, if you can convince the guy who runs/owns it to sell you the stuff!

Art · 04 January, 2003, 12:10:59 AM

There was a nicecomics shop in NY, quite close to teh empire states building, but i've forgotten its name. But still, not ALL comics shops are horrible over there.

My favorite ever international comics shop is Lambiek in Amsterdam, which claims to be the oldest comics shop in the world and has a fantastic collection of original artwork for underground comix.

Link: http://www.lambiek.net/" target="_blank">http://www.lambiek.net/